Opinion

The League of Women Voters of New Mexico has written the following news release, which we wish to share with the community.

The League of Women Voters is deeply disappointed that the New Mexico Senate voted against HB 51, which would have repealed the outdated law making abortion a crime. New Mexico women deserve to know that a full range of healthcare will remain available to them even if Roe v. Wade is overturned.

The League believes that in a pluralistic society such as ours the individual’s right to make

My father passed away recently, a resident of Los Alamos for 60 years. We wanted to make arrangements to lay his urn next to my mother in Guaje Pines Cemetery, in an adjoining plot they had purchased years ago.

The plots already shared the marker with both their names. We were going to make arrangements in December, however the heavy snow precluded the internment, and were asked to postpone. We held the funeral, but waited as requested to bury the remains.

A few weeks ago I inquired at the county to begin the process for the internment.

Astonishingly, our newspapers report that 25 New Mexico counties and most of our 33 sheriffs have backed the view that laws are of no use in preventing crimes. What, you say, that cannot be an accurate news presentation? But it is, much more than the sheriffs and counties realize.

Consider: The argument presented is that bad people will ignore the new laws on registering gun sales transactions and the law will be difficult to enforce. But these same arguments apply to laws against murder, assault, rape, robbery, theft, fraud, DWI, ... you name it.

Sen. William Sharer (R-Farmington) is quoted as saying: "Most of us can't all of a sudden take a 21 per cent increase" [in the minimum wage].

But over the last eight years, Gov. Martinez's vetoes of all minimum wage increases were allowed to stand. Did the Senator work for compromises that would have provided for increases of 2 to 3 percent a year, which could have been 'taken', gradually?

How can we take his concern regarding 'suddenness' seriously if he made no effort to prevent it by forging such compromises to avoid or override the vetoes?

As a freshman legislator, I surprised many people by asking to sit on the House Taxation and Revenue Committee. Few people think that such subjects are interesting, let alone desirable. I disagree. They are at the heart of how our state government functions.

One of our primary jobs as legislators is to ensure that the state can provide the services and infrastructure – education, roads and highways, public safety, and more – that are needed and relied upon by our businesses, families, and communities.

For too long, the game of “Red Vs. Blue” politics has been played at the national level. We cheer for our “team” to win, regardless of WHO that person really is or what they stand for.

We look for the “R” or “D” on the ballot and check the box without thinking. Political news is not about legislation, but rather about one side attacking the other. This kind of thinking and actions are not limited to one side. Both major parties engage in belittling the others in an attempt to gain momentum for their party or attention.

Coal miners from San Juan County stand during a hearing Saturday on Senate Bill 489 before the state Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee. They pleaded with lawmakers to adopt an amendment to the bill that would allow the San Juan Generating Station to continue operating. Jane Phillips/For The New Mexican

Senate Bill 489, the sweeping Energy Transition Act, whips up tensions at a hearing Saturday before the state Senate Corporations and Transportation Committee. Jane Phillips/For The New Mexican

Senate Bill 489, the sweeping Energy Transition Act, whips up tensions at a

The now dying Vietnamese Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh admonished us for decades to be mindful and compassionate and I struggle to practice that. While listening to the just presented CON remarks, I’m aware that the compassion that I avow is different from their sense of compassion.

My daughter is the minister of a Massachusetts Federated Church, the First Parish Church of Berlin, and the parishioners are United Church of Christ and Unitarian Universalist worshipping together.

To the Youth Group, United Church WCSS, Rev. Laurie Triplett of Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church and Father Glenn Jones of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church:

On behalf of the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute Long Term Care residents, I would like to thank you for your donation of Christmas gifts. Your time and thoughtfulness in these amazing gifts is greatly appreciated by our residents. Many of our residents do not have family or friends, which can make the holidays a difficult time for them.

There is this $23 billion pot of money in New Mexico’s assets called the Land Grant Permanent Fund that was established in 1912 as a condition of statehood.

The fund is perpetuated from parcels that were set aside out of each section of land in the state with these parcels to earn revenue (leases and royalties) for the continuing maintenance of state government. This was to fund state government in perpetuity.

When you go out of your house you take a risk. If you stay in your house you take a risk. Life is a risk. Let us not be risk averse. The individual should decide. We are citizens and adults. Encourage risk ... it is how we advance.

When I helped one son (15 years old) with his science project in 1986, he had to ride on top of my 1973 dodge van at 10, 15, 20 and 25 MPH to calibrate his anemometer (an elongated version of a piper cubs) ... risky but worth it. He learned something and was proud.

I thank the Post for running an article reminding people to get vaccinated against influenza (link).

It is also important to remind people to vaccinate their young on schedule against measles, especially since many people do not know how infectious and dangerous measles is.

In fact, measles is among the most infectious of all diseases. About 90 percent of unvaccinated people who are exposed to the virus will become infected. By contrast, the recommended two doses of measles vaccine are 97 percent effective in preventing infection.

Our Legislature is failing to look at the whole picture on a number of bills that will not only hurt but actually kill New Mexicans.

SB 226 seeks to put us on Daylight Savings Time year round. In 1973, Public Law 93-182 enacted year round DST for the whole U.S. beginning Jan. 6, 1974. In October of 1974, it was repealed re-establishing Standard time for the entire U.S. on Oct.

I would like to acknowledge Dr. Bradley Rowberry who has served this community for over 25 years!

Dr. Rowberry continues to practice his gastroenterologist specialty at the Endoscopy Center in Los Alamos. He is a highly accomplished doctor and yet remains a humble and kind human being. He has a wonderful, friendly, and skilled staff and leads his team with kind-heartedness.

I hope Dr. Rowberry continues to enjoy the appreciation of his patients and the respect of his colleagues for many more years.

There is a Board of Public Utilities meeting Wednesday, Feb. 20 at the Municipal Building in the Council chambers. It is important to attend and voice your public comment for at least three topics on the agenda.

First, the Department of Public Utilities wants to raise your water rates … again. 6.25% this time. It seems like an annual increase.

As water usage has dropped due to conservation efforts by the community, the Department wants to raise rates to keep up their revenues, ostensibly for future capital improvement projects.

“This Presidents Day is a day of mourning for the presidency of the United States, which has been hijacked by someone who defies the Constitution, refuses to be president of all the people, and continuously degrades, denigrates, and diminishes the American presidency.” – Robert Reich, UC Berkeley

On this occasion last year, I explained why I mourn for America under Trump's presidency (link). This year, I’ll add a few of Trump’s most serious new gaffes.

Trinity Drive is one of a few Los Alamos arteries that carry much of our downtown and through-town traffic. It seems obvious to me that it is undesirable to restrict capacity of such an important street.

Yet, according to a recent article in the Los Alamos Daily Post, (link), Los Alamos County Public Works is again considering a major reconfiguration of Trinity in the vicinity of 35th and 36th streets in response to planned apartment construction.

I think it would be most unwise to change a smoothly functioning four-lane arterial street into a two-lane street with a

Dear Abandoned Senior Project Supporters, WCSS Group of United Church of Los Alamos, Fr. Glenn Jones and the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and Rev. Laurie Triplett of Trinity on the Hill Episcopal Church:

This letter is to thank you personally for all your help during the 10-year tenure of the abandoned senior project. This project is very difficult and very worthy as it supports several seniors who would not otherwise have any help with clothing and toiletries during the Christmas holidays.

Mark Twain is quoted as saying: Lies, damned lies and statistics! Some of our NM political figures are trying hard to replace the last with 'politics'.

Rep. James Townsend complains that the "rocket docket" bills are not being sufficiently vetted by committees and more reviews are required. Yet these bills were passed by substantial bipartisan majorities before being vetoed by the previous Governor.

So the complaint is window-dressing (to use a polite term) to make it appear that Republicans are doing something to protect New Mexicans when actually they are

Mr. Burke’s letter was very strange to me (link). There were 10 candidates that were all qualified to fill Christine Chandler’s County Council seat for different reasons. All had different backgrounds, and a differing perspective of how the county needed to position itself for the future. I was surprised by the decision, but I don’t think there was a bad choice to be made.

Mr. Burke’s letter is not good optics for him or the Republican Party. While he is certainly entitled to his own opinion, there is a time and a place to air it.